Clearwisdom Digest. Clearwisdom.net Issue 55 February 2006

Transcription

1 Clearwisdom Digest Clearwisdom.net Issue 55 February 2006

2 Table of Content News and Events from Around the World... 1 Canada: Chen Zhili Is Sued during Visit to Vancouver, Subpoena Delivered... 2 San Francisco: Falun Gong Draws Media Attention at Parade, Chinese Communist Party's Interference is Further Exposed... 4 Germany: Court Rules Dresden Police Violated Falun Gong Practitioner's Rights... 7 Facts of the Persecution... 9 Falun Gong Practitioner Mr. Yang Lidong Tortured to Death in January How Xinhua Forced Labor Camp in Sichuan Province Persecutes Falun Gong Practitioners13 Mr. Xin Minduo and His Wife Secretly Sentenced to Thirteen Years in Prison Prior to the Trial Mr. Ma Qinghai Endures Extensive Suffering During His Eighty Day Hunger Strike to Protest his Mistreatment Falun Gong Practitioners Noble Actions in China Story of Delays on a Train Trip People Awaken to the Truth...22 Two Short Stories about Chinese People Who Realize the Nature of the CCP Voice of Justice San Francisco: Board of Supervisors Passes Resolution Condemning CCP's Persecution of Falun Gong Media Reports and Opinions Forbes: When All Else Fails - Threats Forbes: China's Fight with Falun Gong AFP: U.S. Congress Set to Grill Internet Companies over China Clampdown Canadian Press Report: Canadian Falun Gong Followers Sue Chinese official Alleging Torture Falun Gong Practitioners' Personal Experiences Falun Dafa Gave Me a New Lease on Life Glossary... 39

3 News and Events from Around the World News and Events from Around the World Clearwisdom Digest Issue 55 February

4 News and Events from Around the World Canada: Chen Zhili Is Sued during Visit to Vancouver, Subpoena Delivered On February 7, 2006, five Canadian Falun Gong practitioners who have either worked or studied in the Chinese Educational System filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court of British Columbia, against Chen Zhili, the visiting State Council Member of China. Chen Zhili, a diehard follower of former Chinese President Jiang Zemin, has been accused of the crimes of Torture and Crimes Against Humanity. The court has delivered the subpoena to Chen. This is Chen's second time being sued since July 19, 2004, when she was accused and summoned to court in Tanzania for "committing crimes of torture and killing Falun Gong practitioners in the Chinese education system." On February 7, as Chen Zhili visits the Confucius School of the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), Falun Gong practitioners protest with banners in the street The five Canadian practitioners suing Chen are Zhang Kunlun, Jin Rong, Liu Wenyu, Zhu Ying and Fuo Zhaoxia. The subpoena was served to Chen Zhili in person on February 8. In a peaceful protest, practitioners unfold a banner reading, "Stop Persecuting Falun Gong" and "Chen Zhili forced the educational system to persecute Falun Gong! - the crime is undeniable," while Chen Zhili attends the opening ceremony of the Confucius School of BCIT on February 7 2 Clearwisdom.net

5 News and Events from Around the World Chen Zhili actively applied Jiang's policy of suppressing Falun Gong during her term as Minister of Education. She enforced the propaganda of slandering Falun Gong in the educational system, from elementary schools to colleges, forced students to sign their names against Falun Gong, and poisoned the minds of Chinese youth. Under the persecutory policies, in 2003 alone, there were at least 435 practitioners from 210 universities or colleges forcibly sent to brainwashing classes, forced labor camps or even psychiatric hospitals, where they underwent brutal persecution. According to unofficial sources, as of January 29, 2006, nearly 150 teachers and students were persecuted to death in China. Such cases were scattered throughout the country. Clearwisdom Digest Issue 55 February

6 News and Events from Around the World San Francisco: Falun Gong Draws Media Attention at Parade, Chinese Communist Party's Interference is Further Exposed The Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco was held on the evening of February 11, Due to pressure from the Chinese Communist regime, Falun Gong's application for participating in the parade was turned down by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. On the day of the parade, to protect the practitioners' right of freedom of speech, the San Francisco police provided a place on the parade route for the practitioners to express themselves. ABC, NBC, CBS and other TV networks, as well as Associated Press, sent reporters to interview practitioners. Many people took pictures of the practitioners' exercise demonstration. Reporter from ABC interviewing practitioner Reporter from CBS interviewing practitioner At a little after 2:00 p.m. the practitioners went to their designated area. Dressed in golden exercise outfits, the practitioners demonstrated the exercises and the waist drum performance periodically. Some female practitioners danced in colorful costumes, and young practitioners participated, as well. Practitioners put up all kinds of banners on the barricades to introduce Falun Gong, condemn the persecution by the Chinese Communist regime, and call for an end to the persecution that has been extended outside of China. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce Extends the CCP's Persecution of Falun Gong in San Francisco Falun Gong spokeswoman Sherry Zhang pointed out that the organizer of the parade was directed by Rose Pak, who carried out the persecution against Falun Gong in San Francisco. The Falun Gong group has applied for participation in the Chinese New Year Parade since 2000 and was rejected in every year except for The application was approved in 2004, but only because the application was done under the name Falun Dafa instead of Falun Gong, and the review board didn't know that the two were 4 Clearwisdom.net

7 News and Events from Around the World synonymous. Ever since the persecution against the Falun Gong started in 1999, Rose Pak and other pro-communist persons have supported the Chinese Communist regime's persecution of Falun Gong in the Bay Area. Sherry Zhang said that Rose Pak is a personal friend of Jiang Zemin, the main culprit of the persecution of Falun Gong. Personnel from the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco have even pronounced her as a tool in the persecution of Falun Gong. After the persecution started in 1999, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce held a conference against Falun Gong in San Francisco. Practitioners were beaten up by a group of thugs when they were doing the exercises and distributing truth-clarifying fliers at the corner of Chinatown Park in San Francisco in October A witness said that after police apprehended the perpetrators, Rose Pak intervened, and eventually the perpetrators were released. According to a report from Sing Tao Daily on November 23, 2001, Rose Pak was praised and rewarded by the Chairman of the CCP Jiang Zemin, for hindering the passage of a resolution to protect Falun Gong practitioners' human rights in San Francisco. When she visited China, she received a welcome and treatment befitting visiting heads of state. In February 2002, former Mayor of Beijing Liu Qi and Deputy Governor of Liaoning Province Xia Deren were sued by practitioners in San Francisco for torture and crimes against humanity. According to court records, Rose Pak sent a letter in the name of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to the judge on their behalf. In the end, the Federal Court found Liu Qi and Xia Deren responsible for the charges. Sherry Zhang pointed out that Rose Pak spread rumors before the parade, saying that Falun Gong would "stir up trouble". After Falun Gong's application for the parade was rejected, the media in the Bay Area paid a great deal of attention to the issue and interviewed the practitioners. Sherry said, "Ever since the Chinese Communist regime started to persecute Falun Gong, they have kept making up lies to try to maintain the persecution. But the truth cannot be hidden forever. Each time they assault Falun Gong with lies, it backfires. Today, all of these prominent media outlets came and saw the peace and beauty of Falun Gong. Didn't this counteract what they were trying to do?" Spectators Show Their Support Many spectators came and complimented our performance, and expressed that we belonged in the parade. Clearwisdom Digest Issue 55 February

8 News and Events from Around the World A spectator named Donna watched the practitioners demonstrating the exercises and traditional Chinese dances from the other side of the street. She said that she came from Sacramento for the Chinese New Year Parade after two hours of driving, and after seeing the Falun Gong group and the beautiful dances, she wanted to know more about Falun Gong. She said, "This group can participate in any parade in San Francisco except for the Chinese New Year Parade. I'm shocked." Shanna from San Jose shared that she knew about the persecution against Falun Gong. She said, "I know why the Chinese Communist regime would persecute Falun Gong. I am here to watch the parade. I think every group should be allowed in the parade, and so should the Falun Gong group. I know that people don't have human rights under the Chinese Communist regime. Not allowing Falun Gong group in the parade is awful, and this is in the U.S." Practitioner Zhang Hong expressed that the Lunar New Year is something all Chinese people celebrate. She said, "Even though we didn't walk in the parade, we demonstrated peacefully to people the exercises of Falun Gong and traditional Chinese culture. We displayed a cultivator's sense of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" and shared our compassionate smile with everyone. We just want to let people know what Falun Gong really is. We simply practice "Truthfulness-Compassion- Forbearance"." Seeing practitioners distributing introductory materials, a local resident indicated that not allowing people who follow "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" to participate is wrong. He also said that the practitioners' performances were very touching. The practitioners kept doing the demonstrations to show people the beauty of Falun Dafa till the end of the parade. Two patrol officers gave their thumbs-up to the practitioners when they passed by. Regarding the discrimination by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, attorney Joseph Breall, who represents the practitioners, stated that a lawsuit against the Chinese Chamber of Commerce is expected to commence in April of this year. 6 Clearwisdom.net

9 News and Events from Around the World Germany: Court Rules Dresden Police Violated Falun Gong Practitioner's Rights On the morning of February 1, 2006, the Administration Court of Dresden, the state capital of Sachsen, Germany, ruled that the actions taken by the German police against a Falun Gong practitioner during former Chinese President Jiang Zemin's visit to Germany on April 11, 2002 were illegal. The incident occurred in Dresden on April 11, 2002, when Ms Wang Jing, a Falun Gong practitioner, was entering the hotel where Jiang Zemin was to dine. Ms. Wang was stopped by two German police officers and asked to show identification documents. After her personal information was recorded by the police officers, she was ordered to leave. While she was being interrogated by the police, many people passed by her without being interfered with by the police. Subsequent to the incident, Ms. Wang made several attempts to establish direct negotiations with the police through Sachsen's Interior Affairs Department but failed. As a result, she filed a lawsuit in April 2003 against the actions of the Dresden police. In the court session held on February 1st, 2006, the three judges handling the lawsuit adjudicated: (1) It was illegal for police to ask Ms. Wang to present her identification documents; (2) it was illegal for police to record Ms. Wang's personal information; and (3) it was illegal for police to order Ms. Wang to leave. The written court decision will be released soon. As the plaintiff, Ms. Wang indicated that she was pleased to learn of the court ruling. She said, "Four years ago, the German government and police officers surrendered to the pressure of the Chinese communist regime and violated the legal rights of a Falun Gong practitioner. By doing so, they have become accomplices in persecuting Falun Gong outside China. This is a shame to Germany, a country proud of its democracy and ruled by law. It has also damaged the foundation upon which this country was built. I am glad about this upright decision of the court. It is a strong signal to the German government and police that they shouldn't have submitted to the pressure of a foreign regime and abandoned their principles. Ms. Wang's case is just one among many cases of police interference during Jiang's state visit to Germany in Similar incidents occurred in almost every city that he visited, including Berlin, Meissen, Goslar, Dresden and Potsdam. Falun Gong practitioners who took accommodation in the same hotel as Jiang were forced to vacate by German police under pressure from the Chinese communist regime. Practitioners wearing yellow jackets baring "Falun Gong" were forbidden from entering certain areas. Vehicles displaying Falun Gong stickers were stopped by police for examination and some were Clearwisdom Digest Issue 55 February

10 News and Events from Around the World detained for hours. Falun Gong practitioners banners were grabbed and taken away by police. After these incidents, Falun Gong practitioners filed lawsuits against the corresponding interior affairs department and police department in each state. With the exception of Sachsen, Falun Gong practitioners have reached settlements with the government units in all of the states after court mediation. In addition to the interior affairs departments and the police departments of the involved states, the Federal Department of Interior Affairs has also issued public written apologies and promised that certain measures will be taken to ensure the infringement of Falun Gong practitioners rights will not occur again. In addition to Ms. Wang's case, court sessions will be opened soon for two other cases in Sachsen. 8 Clearwisdom.net

11 Facts of the Persecution Facts of the Persecution Clearwisdom Digest Issue 55 February

12 Facts of the Persecution Falun Gong Practitioner Mr. Yang Lidong Tortured to Death in January 2006 Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Yang Lidong from Songyuan City, Jilin Province had been tortured long term in the Jilin Province Labor Camp in Jiutai City. He could not take care of himself and was dying when released. He died on January 17, 2006, thin as a skeleton, and a tragic sight to see. Photo taken on July 5, 2004, his true image after being tortured. Mr. Yang Lidong was 35 years old, and lived on Tuanjie Street in Songyuan City, Jilin Province. He started practicing Falun Gong in April 1999, and refused to give up his faith after the CCP's persecution began on July 20, He had been sent to forced labor twice in Yinmahe Labor Camp located in Jiutai City. In May 2000, Mr. Yang Lidong went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong, and was arrested and detained in the Songyuan City Detention Center, where policeman Zhang Shuhuai ordered prisoners to whip him 99 times with a two foot long, four inch diameter plastic tube, causing his flesh to be smashed with many wounds. Mr. Yang was later sent to forced labor in the Yinmahe Labor Camp in Jiutai City, and served a one-year term. When he was in the Second Ward of Yinmahe Labor Camp, Mr. Yang was often tortured with brutal beatings, the Sitting Board (1), forced brainwashing, over-time heavy labor, and an extended six months term. On February 8, 2002, Mr. Yang Lidong was arrested after policemen from local Tuanjie Street Station ransacked his home, and he was cruelly beaten. He was sentenced to two years of forced labor because he refused to give up his belief, and was sent to the Yinmahe Labor Camp in Jiutai City again on February 11, During his second term in the camp, guards ordered prisoners Zhang Laoqi, Zhu Yonggang, Wang Zhongkui and others to torture Mr. Yang Lidong. They sometimes 10 Clearwisdom.net

13 Facts of the Persecution tied Mr. Yang's four limbs to the bed and beat him with a shovel handle or a plastic tube. Sometimes seven or eight people stuffed Mr. Yang's mouth with linen cloth, then beat him with wooden boards, wooden sticks, or plastic tubes. Sometimes these prisoners held his head in their hands, then rubbed his ribs with wooden boards or tooth brushes. Once Mr. Yang called out, "Falun Dafa is good!" to protest the evil persecution. These prisoners then tied him to a bed, and stood the bed upright so that Mr. Yang was upside down for 30 minutes. The prisoners forced him into certain positions, such as sitting up, or lying down, but not allowing him to move, not allowing him to use the toilet, and forcing him to wet the bed. Sometimes Mr. Yang was forced to sit on the cement floor overnight. Sometimes he was forced to eat less than usual, without any soup. Only two weeks after Mr. Yang was locked in the camp the second time, he was tortured until he was paralyzed, and could not hold anything with his hands. Even in his impaired physical condition, he was still put in strictly monitored cells. One day guard Gao Ke and Warden Gao came to patrol the strictly monitored cells, and Mr. Yang Lidong shouted, "Falun Dafa is Good!" Guard Gao Ke was very angry. He pulled Mr. Yang's intravenous injection needle out, and shocked Mr. Yang all over his body. Warden Gao kicked Mr. Yang to the floor with one kick, and beat him. Around one month later, Mr. Yang was locked in a broom closet, while guards ordered prisoners Zhang Laoqi. Li Donghong, Liu Wenli, Xie Yunpu, Zhang Mancang, Zhao Xiaoli to torture him. They said to others that they were going to give Mr. Yang Lidong a "massage," but soon after, the whole "Educational Section" could hear the tragic screaming of Mr. Yang, along with guards and prisoners' laughing and shouting. This kind of torture had been conducted many times. Finally we learned that each time, Mr. Yang had been locked in the broom closet then had been beaten by sticks, causing him to become incontinent. Then prisoners took Mr. Yang to the water room to "bathe," him but in reality, it was another round of brutal beating. Every time Mr. Yang Lidong had to use the toilet, other detained practitioners or prisoners were not allowed to go to the bathroom, to prevent them from seeing how Mr. Yang had been tortured. Mr. Yang Lidong had been on hunger strike to protest such brutal torture for more than twenty days. In May 2002, Mr. Yang Lidong was locked in the Fourth Ward - the Construction Ward. The Camp Administration forced all Falun Gong practitioners who upheld their faith to have an extended term of five to ten days per month. Mr. Yang Lidong refused to sign his name on the sentencing statement, and as a consequence, guards Guo Yiping and Zhang Xin stripped Mr. Yang and lashed him with a whip of thick twisted wire, resulting in Mr. Yang's flesh being broken, and he was bleeding badly. Clearwisdom Digest Issue 55 February

14 Facts of the Persecution In February 2003, Mr. Yang refused to watch a TV program that slandered Falun Gong and protested the slave labor. He was locked in a small cell (2), and then sent back to the strictly monitored cells permanently. He was strictly monitored and not allowed any personal freedom. Due to long term mental and physical torture, Mr. Yang Lidong became as thin as skin and bones, and a big boil grew on his back. He could only walk by two-inch-steps, but guards would not allow him to receive any treatments. On February 7, 2004, Mr. Yang's "term" ended, but the Camp Administration would not release him unless he wrote a "guarantee statement". Mr. Yang absolutely refused to do so. By February 22, 2004, Mr. Yang was dying. The Camp Administration was afraid to be responsible for his death, and let local police pick him up. For more than a year after his release Mr. Yang Lidong had to stay in bed. He could not take care of himself and endured extreme pain every day, plus the local police kept harassing him at his home. One morning in May 2005, at around 4 a.m., several local policemen pounded on Mr. Yang Lidong's door, stormed into the house and ordered Mr. Yang to give up his Falun Gong books. Mr. Yang's family members refused the unreasonable harassment, and scolded the policemen's rude behavior. The police saw Mr. Yang lying on the bed, as thin as a skeleton so they were scared of being responsible, and quickly escaped after saying some threatening words. Mr. Yang Lidong died on January 17, Clearwisdom.net

15 Facts of the Persecution How Xinhua Forced Labor Camp in Sichuan Province Persecutes Falun Gong Practitioners In the last few months at Xinhua Forced Labor Camp in Sichuan Province, some Falun Gong practitioners who gave in to the persecution have made solemn declarations publicly, either in writing or orally, and resumed their practice of Falun Gong. These practitioners seize every opportunity to clarify the truth to the camp guards and inmates who cooperate with the guards in persecuting the practitioners. They have publicly destroyed evil propaganda posters, broken slogan boards defaming Falun Gong, and erased the evil writing on blackboards. Some practitioners also protested the persecution by going on hunger strikes. No one attended the semi-annual meeting that the camp police planned to slander Falun Gong. Because of this, the guards became angry and were even more ferocious in their persecution against the practitioners. On the morning of December 2, 2005, at the winter training meeting, the deputy labor camp director Zhao Zeyong announced violent persecution measures against Falun Gong practitioners. During the meeting, the guards singled out several practitioners including Luo Qingsheng, Wu Xingdong, Mi Tao, Lu Chunshan, Zhou Guoping, Li Wenquan and Meng Hualong. Those practitioners who were picked shouted out, "Falun Dafa is good," with their voices echoing to every corner of the meeting place. Luo Qingsheng, Wu Xingdong, Mi Tao and Lu Chunshan were put in solitary confinement cells and their initial labor camp terms were extended arbitrarily. The others, including Zhou Guoping, Li Wenquan and Meng Hualong were put under the so-called "strict monitoring and training" and their terms were also extended. During the past half year, the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners has been quite evil. The 2 nd Squadron of the 6 th Brigade is the so-called "strictly disciplined squadron" for Falun Gong practitioners. In the 2 nd Squadron, there is a guard named Piao Jing who once bragged, "Go sue me in court. After you sue me I will get a raise and a promotion." The police deprived practitioners Lu Chunshan, Tian Xu, Wu Zitai and Zeng Yongru of sleep and forced them to sit still for a prolonged time. Practitioners Lu Zhiyong and Luo Qingsheng were not allowed to take breaks and were punished by being forced to stand in military training positions. Practitioners Huang Changdong, Zhang Qizhong, Liang Zhonglun, Yang Ju, Zhang Pingan and Li Wenquan were not allowed to use the toilet. The police said it meant nothing to them even if the practitioners had to defecate in their pants. Practitioner Li Wenquan had feces on his body and clothes several times. The guards took advantage of this by humiliating him, labeling him as a dirty person and inciting inmates to beat and kick him. They also forced Li Wenquan to stand in military training positions for over ten hours and extended his labor camp term by 20 days. In the labor camp, the prisoners have to take written exams. To find excuses to persecute Falun Gong practitioners, the camp police intentionally put questions that Clearwisdom Digest Issue 55 February

16 Facts of the Persecution attacked and slandered Falun Gong on the written exams. If the practitioners refused to take the written exams or did not "pass" the exams, they were sent to the strictly disciplined squadron or got their labor camp terms extended. For the practitioners who were put in the strictly disciplined squadron or the newly arrested ones that were sent to the camp, the guards pierced their faces and necks with iron nails and ballpoint pen tips, forced them to kneel down on chairs, spit on them, slapped their faces, kicked them, and burnt their skin with lit cigarettes. Ironically, the labor camp's walls are covered with slogans stating that no physical punishment is allowed and a "humanitarian" environment is created to "influence" Falun Gong practitioners. While labor camp authorities try to appear to be kind-hearted persons, they secretly do heartless and inhuman deeds. They selected some inmates who were drug addicts and thieves to act as "clampdown personnel" (persons who monitor Falun Gong practitioners closely and use all kinds of inhuman treatment against practitioners in order to force them to give up practicing Falun Gong). Those inmates who worked hard to torture practitioners got their labor camp terms reduced. Those who were influenced by the practitioners and became friends with them were either put under strict discipline, got prolonged terms, or got transferred to other brigades where they had heavier loads of manual labor. In the morning, the guards usually held meetings to discuss how to persecute Falun Gong practitioners. At night they gathered the inmates and give them instructions on how to persecute practitioners. Labor camp police Piao Jing and Shen Rui announced during the inmate training meetings, "When you treat Falun Gong practitioners, you should vent on them all of the hatred that you felt when you were beaten after being found picking pockets." The guards truly abhorred those steadfast practitioners, yet at the same time were quite afraid of them. Practitioner Lu Zhiyong, who worked as a forest policeman in Shandong Province, was tall and had a strong build. He did not cooperate with the persecutors. He refused to count off during roll call, wear the prison uniform, sing the labor camp songs, or take written exams. Hence, he was punished many times. The camp police incited inmates to knock him down and drag him to a secret place for special persecution. Half a month later, following an announcement in the meeting about violent persecution measures, the guards used an anesthetic on him. Then a dozen guards and inmates wrapped him in bed sheets and took him out of the brigade. To this day his whereabouts are unknown. In April of 2005, practitioner Luo Qingsheng did not cooperate with the evil and refused to do the homework assignment that the police required. As a result, his term was extended. During this extended time, while the inmates watched, Luo Qingsheng destroyed a slogan board defaming Falun Gong that hung over the squadron entrance gate. After finding out about it, the guards and inmates immediately handcuffed him, tied him up in ropes, beat him with nail-plated clubs and shocked him with electric 14 Clearwisdom.net

17 Facts of the Persecution batons until he lost consciousness. While he was unconscious from the torture, the guards ordered the inmates to stomp on him and revive him with cold water. The acts of persecution carried out by Xinhua Forced Labor Camp guards of Sichuan Province are hard to count or describe. Since the violent persecution measures were publicly announced on December 12, 2005, the labor camp police have spared nothing in brutally persecuting Falun Gong practitioners. They summoned practitioners to their office on the pretense of wanting to chat, but instead brutally persecuted them, regardless of day or night. Currently, the whereabouts of several practitioners who were sent to solitary confinement cells are unknown. Clearwisdom Digest Issue 55 February

18 Facts of the Persecution Mr. Xin Minduo and His Wife Secretly Sentenced to Thirteen Years in Prison Prior to the Trial On December 12, 2005 Xin Minduo and his wife Bao Juncen were put on trial for the second time. But after the hearing, the court adjourned with no verdict announced. In fact, twenty days before the court session, the sentence had already been passed secretly. The couple was to be given thirteen years imprisonment. It all started on August 3, 2005 when Falun Gong practitioner Xin Minduo was arrested while walking along a street, and at the same time his wife Bao Juncen was also arrested while visiting a neighbor. In fact they had been illegally arrested by personnel from the District National Security Office. During an initial trial, due to the lack of evidence submitted by the District Examination Court, the Intermediate Court dismissed the case, and sent the couple back to the District National Security Office. Dissatisfied with the result, on November 25, 2005, the District National Security Office re-filed the case against Xin Minduo to the District Examination Court, with some Falun Gong materials as evidence. It was not until December 26 that the Office managed to find sufficient "evidence" to prosecute Xin's wife, Bao Juncen, as well. During the hearing on December 12, 2005 almost every law firm in Panjin City sent in a representative. Apart from the defendant's lawyer, there were nine other lawyers present as observers. The case was all in favor of the accused, and the defendant's lawyer put forward the arguments so beautifully that everyone applauded. At the entrance, one police officer was overheard whispering to another, "It's no use trying to defend the accused. The sentence was passed secretly twenty days ago." In the end, the court adjourned the session hastily, and the verdict of the case was not announced. During the court session, the prosecutor asked to present six witnesses. Except for Ms. Yuan Huaying who had some connections with the case, the other five had nothing to do with the case. However, none of the witnesses showed up that day. Similar to the first court session conducted on September 12, 2005, this session also ended in disaster. The court rejected the prosecutor's request for a re-appearance of the witnesses. While preparing for this court case, the defendants' lawyers and their immediate family members continually harassed and threatened. On November 27, 2005, after demanding the release of Xin and Bao, the family members received threats. Xu Hao the National Security Officer said, "Sooner or later, I will get all of you locked up." 16 Clearwisdom.net

19 Facts of the Persecution After the court hearing, the Panjin City National Security agents claimed that they would "deal with" the two lawyers for defending the Falun Gong practitioners as revenge for making them lose face in the court. Clearwisdom Digest Issue 55 February

20 Facts of the Persecution Mr. Ma Qinghai Endures Extensive Suffering During His Eighty Day Hunger Strike to Protest his Mistreatment On October 31, 2005, Inner Mongolia National Security policeman Gong Zhuan Xing and others arrested Mr. Ma Qinghai. He was imprisoned at the Aohan Detention Center. Mr. Ma went on a hunger strike in protest. He was illegally sentenced to serve a prison term of nine years. He was later transferred to Chifeng Jail to serve his prison term. Mr. Ma is currently on the 80th day of his hunger strike. His condition is precarious and he has faced enormous misery and suffering. While detained, Mr. Ma encountered the most brutal persecution. He was continuously beaten. The policeman Miao Guangli and some others provoked six to seven inmates to insert an un-sanitized rubber hose down his esophagus attempting to force-feed him. The inmates forced the dirty rubber tube up and down in his esophagus at least ten times during this forced-feeding operation. This thrusting of the tube caused Mr. Ma to bleed and to have difficulty breathing. He fainted and lost consciousness several times. Amidst extreme pain and suffering, Mr. Ma Qinghai cut the hose by biting on it. The broken part of the tube remained inside his esophagus, making it difficult for him to breathe. For almost 24 hours of every day during Mr. Ma's detention, with the exception of the investigative hearing, he was tied to a bed. Most of his body was covered with bruises and lacerations. Also, Mr. Ma's right ear was swollen. His hearing steadily deteriorated and he became feeble. Each day, policeman Miao Guangli beat him until he lost consciousness. Inmates in the detention center were also allowed to beat and scold Falun Gong practitioners whenever they pleased. During a heavy snow, the deputy warden brutally forced Mr. Ma, who was already feeble and weak, to stand barefoot in a snowdrift. During Mr. Ma's 70 days of imprisonment, the authorities inside the prison wouldn't allow his family to visit him. They resorted to all measures to censor and block jail information from reaching the outside. They refused to meet with the lawyer who was hired to represent him. The court even colluded with the public security bureau to fabricate lies to defame Mr. Ma and then sentenced him to a nine-year prison term. He was sentenced without a public hearing and without Mr. Ma's family's knowledge, as well as without Mr. Ma's signature and acknowledgement. On January 12, 2006, after almost seventy days of fasting, the detention center transferred the weak and feeble Mr. Ma Qinghai to Chifeng Jail. Mr. Ma's family exerted a great deal of effort to find his whereabouts. On January 16, they visited Mr. Ma. 18 Clearwisdom.net

21 Facts of the Persecution Because of the brutal persecution he suffered, two inmates had to help him. His family members were not able to recognize his emaciated body. Normally, Mr. Ma weighed about 140 pounds. He has been reduced to a skeleton of eighty to ninety pounds because of the brutal persecution. His face is covered with bruises and wounds. Before the old bruises heal, new ones are added. Recently, the jail again resorted to force-feeding him. Mr. Ma has sustained 80 days on a hunger strike. At every moment he faces torture, cruelty, and persecution. Every second his life is in danger. Clearwisdom Digest Issue 55 February

22 Falun Gong Practitioners Noble Action in China Falun Gong Practitioners Noble Actions in China 20 Clearwisdom.net

23 Falun Gong Practitioners Noble Action in China Story of Delays on a Train Trip I went back to my hometown during the Chinese New Year, but the train was delayed for nearly thirty hours. This caused passengers to become very angry. A fellow practitioner asked, "Is this evil interference? I thought that nothing is accidental, isn't this a good opportunity to clarify the truth, and help people withdraw from the CCP (Chinese Communist Party)?" After briefly sharing understandings with fellow practitioners, we worked together to initiate conversations with the other passengers. We began with how the train was stuck in the middle of nowhere, how the food service was selling expensive meals, and then moved on to how villagers in Shanwei City (in Guangdong Province) were being shot and killed by the government, how Falun Dafa practitioners were being persecuted, the contamination of the Songhua River (in Heilongjiang Province), and finally we talked about how the Three Withdrawals (1) on the Epoch Times website has passed the seven million mark. We exposed all sorts of evil deeds that the CCP had committed, and helped others to withdraw from the CCP and its related organizations. Passengers around us were all listening very carefully. Some of them withdrew from the CCP on the spot, and some asked to have information on breaking through the Internet blockade, eager to learn more about the truth. The delayed train created a good environment for helping people to withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated organizations. (1) The Three Withdrawals includes people voluntarily withdrawing their membership in the Chinese Communist Party, the Communist Youth League and the Young Pioneers. Clearwisdom Digest Issue 55 February

24 People Awaken to the Truth People Awaken to the Truth 22 Clearwisdom.net

25 People Awaken to the Truth Two Short Stories about Chinese People Who Realize the Nature of the CCP Finding ways to read "The Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party" A relative of mine is the director of a district court in Henan Province. I met him unexpectedly on the street one day, and he told me about an incident. My relative and several colleagues went to Hong Kong and saw Falun Gong "truthclarification" materials everywhere. Practitioners held photo exhibitions and distributed audio and video materials. The tour guide warned my relative and his colleagues not to take any Falun Gong materials, because if customs finds any Falun Gong material on them, they will be in big trouble. To circumvent customs, my relative and the colleague tore off the front cover of "The Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party" booklet and hid the booklet in their pockets. Once they checked into the hotel room, my relative and the colleagues each started reading "The Nine Commentaries." Praising the CCP s purported virtues and achievements no longer works in the classroom In the sophomore class at a high school in Sichuan Province, dozens of students have withdrawn from the affiliated organization of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). During a contemporary history lecture, the teacher praised the Communist Party's purported virtues and achievements. Students who understood the true evil nature of the Communist Party debated with the teacher. These students gave a factual account of the Communist Party's persecution of Falun Gong and its suppression of citizens in such earlier campaigns. Despite years of experience in teaching Chinese history, this teacher could not refute the facts. One student asked, "Teacher, why don't you withdraw from the CCP?" What was intended to be a Communist indoctrination lecture became a truth clarification forum, because many students are no longer deceived by the CCP's propaganda. Clearwisdom Digest Issue 55 February

26 Voice of Justice Voice of Justice 24 Clearwisdom.net

27 Voice of Justice San Francisco: Board of Supervisors Passes Resolution Condemning CCP's Persecution of Falun Gong On the afternoon of January 31, 2006, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution that "condemns the persecution of Falun Gong." The resolution states that Falun Gong practitioners should be free from the persecution within the City and County of San Francisco, and appropriate City agencies including the police department and human rights commission should protect Falun Gong practitioners' rights and security. Supervisor Chris Daly proposed the resolution that "condemns the persecution of Falun Gong," which was submitted to the Board of Supervisors after it was passed on a 2 to 1 vote last Monday at the City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee. This afternoon, all 11 supervisors at the Board of Supervisors voted, and the resolution was passed on a 9 to 2 vote. Prior to the vote, nearly a hundred Falun Gong practitioners held a press conference in front of City Hall. Some of them practiced the exercises, some held banners reading "Extend Help to Stop the Persecution of Falun Gong," and called for the Board of Supervisors to support the resolution. Spokesperson for Falun Gong Ms. Zhang Xuerong, after learning that the resolution was passed, said that she was pleased that the Board of Supervisors passed the resolution condemning the persecution of Falun Gong, making San Francisco join in the protection of Falun Gong human rights. She said, "We should let everyone have the right to practice his or her own belief." Supervisor Sean Elsbernd expressed at the meeting that the essence of the resolution is regarding individuals' basic human rights. Falun Gong practitioners should be free from persecution. He called on other supervisors to support the resolution. Supervisor Tom Ammiano expressed that it is clear that Falun Gong practitioners are being subjected to persecution. All has been documented. He supported Dali's opinion. The following is the content of the resolution: Condemning the Persecution of Falun Gong Practitioners Resolution condemning the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, expressing the position of the City and County of San Francisco to Federal Officials, urging federal officials and the State Department to follow United States Congress Resolution 304. Clearwisdom Digest Issue 55 February

28 Voice of Justice Whereas, the persecution of Falun Gong violates the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and Whereas, the Constitution of the United States guarantees freedom of religion, the right to assemble, and the right to speak freely, and the city of San Francisco has been a champion in promoting human rights; and Whereas, in 2004, the United States House of Representatives (with the United States Senate concurring) passed a concurrent resolution, Resolution 304, expressing the sense of Congress regarding oppression by the Government of the People's Republic of China of Falun Gong in the United States and in China; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That it is the sense of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors that Falun Gong practitioners should be free from persecution within the City and County of San Francisco and that appropriate City agencies, including the Police Department and Human Rights Commission should protect the rights and safety of Falun Gong practitioners; and, be it FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City and County of San Francisco urge federal officials to continue their stance in support of Falun Gong as articulated in the United States Congress Resolution Clearwisdom.net

29 Media Reports and Opinions Media Reports and Opinions Clearwisdom Digest Issue 55 February

30 Media Reports and Opinions Forbes: When All Else Fails - Threats New York - Peter Yuan Li--a key figure in the Falun Gong's technologically sophisticated attempt to undermine the Chinese Communist Party--was brutally attacked and beaten in his home in Duluth, Ga., as Forbes was going to press with its cover story on how the spiritual movement is penetrating the Chinese government's hitech censorship. At 11:15 A.M. on Feb. 8, according to the Fulton County Police Department Incident Report, Asian men stormed the house of the Princeton-educated information technology technician, bound, gagged and beat him, before fleeing with two 16-inch Sony laptop computers, Li's wallet and yet unknown material from his files. "They were not looking for valuables," says Dr. Li, who needed 15 stitches in his face. "They left my daughter's jewelry and camcorder and other valuables." Li is a Falun Gong practitioner and a technology specialist employed by the Epoch Times, a Falun Gong-affiliated newspaper that published a highly critical series of essays in a book called Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. The Nine Commentaries was coupled with an effective promotional campaign within China that urged the CCP and related youth party members to renounce their party affiliation on specially designed websites (see: "Cracks In The Wall"). The Falun Gong claim 7 million Communist Party members have renounced their allegiances due to the Nine Commentaries campaign. U.S. citizen Li says he not only maintains the Epoch Times website, but also the related Nine Commentaries and CCP renunciation Web sites that mainland Chinese are accessing through proxy technologies to register their displeasure with the Chinese government. Beijing has been trying to combat their efforts with the compliance of Western firms that provide the nuts and bolts of China's Internet: Cisco Systems, Google, Microsoft, Nortel Networks, Sun Microsystems and Yahoo! The first two men who pushed their way into his home in the Atlanta suburb were armed with a knife and gun and spoke Korean, Li tells Forbes. But once they had taped his eyes and bound him, Li says he heard another one or two men enter his house. One of these men spoke to him in Mandarin and demanded to know where he kept his "locker" and documents. The intruders ransacked the house and forced open locked file cabinets. After the men left, Li was able to escape into the street, where a neighbor was able to help him and call the police. There have been many reported incidents of Falun Gong practitioners getting harassed or threatened while on U.S. soil. In an incident last year, the San Francisco home of Houzhi Ma, an Epoch Times editor, who finances and manages reporters inside China, was repeatedly burgled. His laptops were also stolen. 28 Clearwisdom.net

31 Media Reports and Opinions Erping Zhang, spokesman for the Falun Gong, says it is no coincidence that Li's attack took place as Forbes reveals the extent of the Falun Gong's penetration of the Chinese government's information barriers. "Given that valuables were not taken; given that laptops and related Internet files and receipts were taken; and given that the attackers asked where the files were kept--it is apparent that the attackers were after Internet anti-blockage and encryption information," says Zhang. [...] In 2004, the U.S. Congress passed Resolution 304, which recognized "the Chinese government has attempted to silence the Falun Gong movement and Chinese prodemocracy groups inside the United States." The resolution urged the U.S. Attorney General to "investigate reports that Chinese consular officials in the U.S. have committed illegal acts while attempting to intimidate or inappropriately influence Falun Gong practitioners or local elected officials." Dr. Haiying He, a medical oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard University, is also a Falun Gong [practitioner] and was one of the first CCP party members to officially and publicly renounce his membership after the Nine Commentaries campaign began. He says he has not only been threatened in person in Boston, but that his parents get regular secret police visits at their home in Chongqing City, China. Three months ago, he says, the secret police described his "every move" in the U.S. to his parents. Dayong Li, is a founder of the global organization that is orchestrating the CCP renouncements. He also owns a New Jersey satellite service company. Li says his parents in Hunan Province also receive similar visits, and the secret police terrorize the elderly couple by saying they know "everything" about their son--including where he walks, his salary and his company details. "They warn me not to be active," says Li. "They tell my parents if I am, my life is in danger." Clearwisdom Digest Issue 55 February

32 Media Reports and Opinions Forbes: China's Fight with Falun Gong The shocking reenactments of torture in front of Pennsylvania Station in New York and the Chinese Embassy in London publicly make the point: Falun Gong, a popular spiritual movement brutally suppressed by the Chinese Communist Party, is effectively waging its counter war against the Chinese government, from the West. Overseas Falun Gong practitioners are, for example, leading an underground campaign to hack China's Internet firewalls, to counter the Chinese Communist Party's news blackout and propaganda in the Middle Kingdom. But there are many skirmishes between Chinese communism and Chinese spiritualism taking place on U.S. soil. Consider, for example, the propaganda war that took place at New York's Radio City Music Hall in late January. The NYC-based New Tang Dynasty TV beams uncensored Free World news into China using capacity on European satellite-operator Eutelsat. NTDTV is loosely associated with Falun Gong (the spiritual group's spokeswoman, for example, sits on the company's board), and in NTDTV hired Radio City Music Hall to stage a Chinese New Year gala. Not to be outdone, the Chinese government's television station, CCTV, booked the famous hall immediately following the NTDTV gala and did its best to confuse the ticket-buying public. But the Chinese Communist Party-sanctioned gala was built around a ditty called "Same Song," a sing-along allegedly used during labor camp torture sessions of Falun Gong followers. In response, Falun Gong practitioners used the Torture Victims Protection Act to file a New York suit against CCTV, which, the group claims, has also been producing false and slanderous propaganda pieces about the "violent" nature of Falun Gong. Falun Gong members in the West routinely wage telephone campaigns inside China, calling labor camp guards, for example, and urging them to treat imprisoned Falun Gong followers leniently. Last year, however, Falun Gong practitioners worldwide were themselves barraged with harassing phone calls, including death threats. Some of these campaigns involved hours of continuous and simultaneous ringing of work, home and private cell phones. Falun Gong is suing the Chinese government in Washington; they want authority from RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) to get the phone companies to trace these calls back to China. Overall, says Theresa Chu, a Falun Gong attorney and director of International Advocates for Justice, Falun Gong have filed more than 50 lawsuits across the globe, charging the Chinese Communist Party's leaders with genocide and other crimes against humanity. 30 Clearwisdom.net

33 Media Reports and Opinions Most outsiders agree Falun Gong is an essentially benign Chinese spiritual practice founded in 1992 by Li Hongzhi, a former Changchun grain clerk. Li's spiritual teachings are based on the ancient practice of qigong (tai chi is the best known of these movements, which are considered a pillar of ancient Chinese medicine). Li [...] urged practitioners to cultivate "truthfulness, compassion and forbearance." The Chinese Communist Party initially encouraged the masses to take up Falun Gong, because they saw the practice's benefits--mental and physical wellbeing--as a way to curtail the state's rocketing medical costs. The paranoia hit when a CCP investigation in the late 1990s estimated that the fastgrowing Falun Gong had between 70 million and 100 million followers across the country; the CCP itself has only 63 million members. So in July a few months after a peaceful protest in Beijing by Falun Gong--the CCP rounded up the movement's [volunteer coordinators] across the country, branded the movement an [CCP's slanderous term deleted] and began its bloody persecution. By that time, Li Hongzhi had moved to the U.S. A few days before the July 1999 crackdown in China, Falun Gong Web sites in Canada and the U.S. began to crash. They couldn't be brought back up until a week after the bloody crackdown. According to Ethan Gutmann, author of Losing the New China, a Falun Gong practitioner in Washington traced the "denial of service" hacker attacks through an Asia-Pacific Internet registry, back to No. 14 East Chang'an Street, Beijing, where China's Ministry of Public Security is located. The Chinese government's persecution of Falun Gong is allegedly run by the notorious Office 6-10, a specially created unit that has overseen a terror campaign that survivors say includes mass arrests, imprisonment in labor camps, brainwashing, torture and, in some cases, murder, for all those who failed to renounce their allegiance to Falun Gong. Gang Chen, a mild-mannered 34-year-old now living in southern New Jersey, tells Forbes that his 17 months in labor camp included many forms of torture, including being chained to a radiator and repeatedly electrocuted with electric batons ("like snake bites") and being crushed to near-death under wood, as guards ordered fellow inmates to stand on top of him. ("My friend was paralyzed this way.") Falun Gong claims they have documented 44,000 cases of torture that have resulted in 2,804 deaths; searches through Falun Gong Web sites, like Faluninfo.net or Clearwisdom.net, reveal pictures and testimonials that churn the stomach. "There's no question the Falun Gong have been terribly persecuted," says Corinna-Barbara Francis, China analyst for Amnesty International in London, although she adds that Falun Gong figures seem a little high and impossible to independently verify. Why? Because Falun Gong deaths are not the result of formal executions, she says, but take place in hard-tomonitor labor camps, where poor treatment and torture lead to the deaths. (The Chinese embassy in Washington did not return our calls for comment.) Clearwisdom Digest Issue 55 February

34 Media Reports and Opinions The reclusive Li Honghzi [...] is now believed to be living in New Jersey and says little beyond what is in his written teachings. But his recently posted poem on Falun Gong's Web sites is called "The Red Tide's Wane" and is a thinly disguised prediction that the CCP is living on borrowed time. The poem's closing line: "The day of reckoning draws near." 32 Clearwisdom.net

35 Media Reports and Opinions AFP: U.S. Congress Set to Grill Internet Companies over China Clampdown U.S. Internet giants will come under unprecedented grilling in Congress this week for joining hands with China to censor the Internet, despite the proud American tradition of free speech. Microsoft, Google, Yahoo and Cisco Systems have all agreed to appear on Wednesday before a House of Representatives human rights panel, which summoned them following public outcry over their compliance with Beijing. By complying with China's demand for censorship in order to enter the booming Chinese market, some of the top American Internet firms in essence have become "a megaphone for communist propaganda and a tool for controlling public opinion," said Chris Smith, who will co-chair the hearing. The Republican Representative from New Jersey, who heads the House Subcommittee on Global Human Rights and International Operations, is drafting legislation imposing curbs on Internet companies seeking to expand into China. "I think a lot of members will be supportive of the legislation," Smith's spokesman Brad Dayspring told AFP. Some lawmakers accused the American firms of helping Beijing build the "Great Firewall of China." "Our message to the Chinese is, 'When you build a wall to oppress your people, can we sell you some bricks?'" said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who introduced legislation last week to downgrade U.S. trade ties with China. This is the first time the companies will testify at Capitol Hill over the muzzling of Internet information in China. Two weeks ago, they snubbed a Congressional caucus meeting, which had no subpoena power. State Department officials have also been summoned to explain Washington's stand on the issue at the one-day hearing, entitled "The Internet in China: "A tool for freedom or suppression?" Search giant Google and top computer software maker Microsoft have both admitted cooperating with Beijing to censor websites. Clearwisdom Digest Issue 55 February

36 Media Reports and Opinions Leading portal operator Yahoo allegedly assisted Beijing authorities to track down and jail a journalist and cyber dissident, while Cisco's technology-savvy machinery is reportedly used to censor Internet messages and track down cyber dissidents. The companies have defended their decisions as being for the public good [...] "At the very least, the presence of American Web companies irritates the Chinese government, because it places its political tactics on public display," he said. The Congressional hearing could set the pace for legislation compelling Internet companies to locate servers outside "repressive countries" and prohibit the export of Internet technology to these countries. "The hearing is going to give Internet companies a chance to testify before Congressman Smith puts the final touches to the legislation," Dayspring said. [...] 34 Clearwisdom.net

37 Media Reports and Opinions Canadian Press Report: Canadian Falun Gong Followers Sue Chinese official Alleging Torture VANCOUVER (CP) -- A Chinese government official is the focus of a B.C. Supreme Court lawsuit alleging a "campaign of terror'' against followers of Falun Gong. The five Canadian residents suing Chen Zhili, who was China's Education Minister, claim she made key decisions and had control over those who carried out torture and persecution. "She did so contrary to and acting outside Chinese and international laws and the legal authority of her office,'' says the lawsuit filed Wednesday. Court documents allege she is not entitled to immunity under international law from the lawsuit. The group is asking for $20 million in compensation for general and special damages, future care costs, and lost wages. A statement of claim said while Chen was Education Minister from 1998 to 2003 she was at the top of a chain of command in the Chinese government, "and participated in the systematic, organized and widespread campaign of persecution of Falun Gong throughout the Chinese education system.'' [...] Kunlun Zhang, Rong Jin, Wenyu Liu, Ying Zhu, and Guo Zhaoxia are either Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or in one case a PhD student at the University of Calgary. The plaintiffs live in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta. Each of Chen's accusers makes allegations of a series of arrests, detentions, beatings, and electric-shock treatments because they were followers of Falun Gong. The plaintiffs claim they have a right to bring the lawsuit in Canada because they all live in the country, because they would be unable to obtain justice in the Chinese judicial system, and because persecution of Falun Gong continues in China. They say they worry for their safety if they have to return to China to pursue a claim. Clearwisdom Digest Issue 55 February

38 Falun Gong Practitioners Personal Experiences Falun Gong Practitioners' Personal Experiences 36 Clearwisdom.net